Why are we running low?
There are many factors contributing to our planets water shortages. These factors include food production, poor farming practices, over-extraction and poor management.
Food Production With the rapid growth of population it is estimated in the future an additional 6000 cubic km of fresh water will be needed for irrigation alone. With different diet requirements in today's world such as lactose intolerance, gluten free, vegetarians and vegans, a variety of different types of produce is needed to fit their needs. Increased meat consumption requires double the amount of water that a vegetarian needs, therefore more water is needed to maintain and farm the animals. Poor Farming Practices Due to inefficient irrigation methods and water consuming plants ,like rice, our water is wasted. Badly managed and designed irrigation such as canals, pumps and pipes can create potential leakage. Over-extraction Due to modern technology we now have more available energy which enables us to pump ground water from deeper aquifers. This is done so at an unsustainable rate. as water is removed and the amount decreases there is less and less to refill our rivers, lakes and wetlands. Poor Management As the government prices water below what it is worth, irrigation schemes carelessly use large quantities of our water. Some countries may lack financial help and therefore cannot afford developed irrigation schemes. This means they are forced to drink polluted water and this will most likely cause illness. |